We visited Anas bin Malik, and he asked, "Have you prayed?"We replied, "Yes."He said, "Jariya, bring me water for ablution. I have not prayed behind any imam whose prayer more closely resembles that of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ than this imam of yours."Zayd said, "Umar bin Abd al-Aziz used to complete the bowing and prostration thoroughly while shortening the standing and sitting."
دخلنا على أنس بن مالك فقال: صليتم؟ قلنا: نعم. قال: يا جارية هلمي لي وضوعا ما صليت وراء إمام أشبه صلاة برسول الله ﷺ من إمامكم هذا. قال زيد: وكان عمر بن عبد العزيز يتم الركوع والسجود ويخفف القيام والقعود.
Nasai (981) narrated it from Qutayba, who said, Ataf bin Khalid told us, from Zayd bin Aslam, who said (he mentioned it). Its chain is hasan because of the discussion regarding Ataf bin Khalid Makhzumi, except that his hadith is hasan when he does not contradict others.It has another chain, which is what Ahmad (13672) narrated from Ibrahim bin Khalid, who said, Umaya bin Shibl informed me, from Uthman bin Yazdawiyah, who said, I set out to Madinah with Umar bin Yazid, while Umar bin Abdul-Aziz was its governor before he became caliph. He said, I heard Anas bin Malik, who had a pronounced white patch of skin, say, and Umar used to lead us in prayer. Anas said, "I have not seen anyone whose prayer more closely resembled the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ than this young man. He would shorten it while still completing it fully." Its chain is hasan.This strengthens what Abu Dawud (888), Nasai (1135), and Imam Ahmad (12661) all narrated through the hadith of Abdullah bin Ibrahim bin Umar bin Kaysan, who said, my father told me, from Wahb bin Manus, who said, I heard Saeed bin Jubayr say, I heard Anas bin Malik say, "I have not prayed behind anyone after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ whose prayer more closely resembled the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ than this young man," meaning Umar bin Abdul-Aziz. He said, we estimated that in his bowing he said ten glorifications, and in his prostration ten glorifications.The hadith's chain is daif, because it contains Wahb bin Manus, who is "unknown," not deemed trustworthy by anyone except Ibn Hibban, though it is suitable as corroborating support, except for his statement "ten glorifications," for no one has been found to agree with him on that.